Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-06-09


although 1 tried to console myself with
the hope that a bad beginning would
make a good ending. A couple Of
days later we were en- route eastward,
and made our first halt at Geneseo-
The audience did not number more
| than Il score. At La Sale it rained rs
if the foundations of the great deep
had again broken mp, and the attend
ance in the cramped and foul-smelling
room in the court house, which we had
/ secured for the exhibition, could have
been Tailed by ones fingers. 1had not
a cent of money and when the La Sale
engagement closed 1 found that my
employer was in the same condition.
| need not prolong this portion of the
narrative, as it is but preliminary to the
main incident to be related. Suffice
it that the assistant and myself re-
manned in pawn, so to express 1T, at
the Hardy House, while Mcclure went
back to Davenport to secure from his
relatives fresh supply of funds. We
and the panorama were relieved when
he returned. 1t rained necessarily.
The only point on the trip where there
was an audience large enough to pay
expenses was at Dowagiac, Mich. AT
Kalamazoo we had Fireman's Hall and
but ten people present, three OF them
were deadheads, with the result that
Mcclure was unable to pay the hall
rent, and the proprietor held his pic
lures as security.
There is little town few miles be-
yond Kalamazoo on the Michigan Ger
| Oft ho
close of my lecture at Kalamazoo Nc
CURE gave me thirty-fve cents to pay
my fare to this town so that 1 might
distribute the handbills of the piano.
ramic exhibition. He did not then
know that his appliances would be
held. I left toward midnight, and that
was the last [ ever saw of the piano.
rama and its proprietor.
/ secured the little hall contained in
the town, and distributed printed adj
vertisements. The trains came, but no
panorama. Two days thus passed,
when a letter from Mcclure informed
!, venport to obtain some more money,
, days.
|
, When, after some time had elapsed,
t and the promised panorama did not
t come, l began to feel my situation en-
| barrassing. The hotel proprietor had
: accepted my explanation of a lack of
, funds, and readily agreed to await the
, arrival of Mcclure. At the end of a
week matters began to change. There
was no Mcclure, and l was not the
, possessor of single nickel. L was
z ashamed to write for assistance to any
of my friends; in fact, l could think of
: none of them that would probably re-
g spond to request for money, under
2 / the circumstances. / became despond-
r ent; my bright promises of year be-
r fore had all faded, and felt myself an
: absolute failure. I was a wretched
= castaway in a strange region without a
s friend, or resource, or hope.
S One day, when sitting in a bowling
= alley, and watching a game between q
g couple of local experts, stranger
c entered, and, after looking around in
$ an Indifferent manner, finally, as if by
: accident, dropped into the seat adjoin.
e ing mine. Some peculiar stroke by
e one of the players elected remark
e from me, to which he responded. This
/ grew into a conversation, and laterinto
an intimacy. He was a tall man, about
: thirty years of age, with a smooth
= open face, keen brown eyes, dark hair
and a physique Indicating great
g strength. He was very sociable in his
: methods, treating freely at the bar, and
had at his command large supply OF
4 money. especially in the shape of gold
, coin, Il handful of which he was in the
f habit of pulling from his pocket when
i he had to pay for some purchase.
f He seemed to take liking for me.
e He cultivated my acquaintance. He
= had been about the world good deal
: and knew many curious people and
: wonderful things. In my loneliness he
, was a welcome distraction, and I be-
| came attached to him and we were in
1 separable-
q One bright Sabbath he invited me t.
: take walk into the country. We
t strolled along the wagon road for {
mile or so, and then turned into mead
! ow, near the center of which was
2 large tree. To this he led the way, anC
2 when we reached it we sat down within
, the grateful shade. My companion
| seemed unusually happy. His idea:
: ran on the splendors of wealth, the
5 glory of travel. the favors of beautiful
f women and other matters kindred in
}. their roseate suggestions. AT length
: his thoughts drifted insensibly, as i
e were, into the far East. He seemed ia
e miliar with ancient history and with
: the legends of the fabulous wealth o.
the Oriental rulers and princes, of theil
q excuses, their amours and their lux